Method and System for Portioning Meals on a Serving Tray and Work Station Therefor

ABSTRACT

A method and a system for successively portioning and arranging meals on a plurality of serving trays ( 2 ) and a work station ( 4 ) therefor is provided, which replaces a conveyor belt technique with an island technique. To this end, the system includes, in particular, a portioning station ( 1 ) for stationary preparation of a serving tray ( 2 ) for a manual portioning of foods; a work station ( 4 ), which is assigned to an operator and which is situated next to the portioning station ( 1 ); and a number of storage containers ( 5 ) filled with different foods to be portioned. The work station ( 4 ) essentially includes a frame with a number of the storage containers ( 5 ) for different foods. The storage containers ( 5 ) are placed one above another in at least two, and preferably three, different levels, can be vertically adjusted, and the horizontal inclination can also be adjusted. The work station ( 4 ) preferably includes a cooling device and/or a heating device.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a method and a device for successively portioning and arranging meals on a multitude of serving trays or menu dishes and a work station for such a device.

In cafeteria kitchens, in particular in hospital kitchens or kitchens of retirement or nursing homes as well as in remote kitchens for a mobile supply, several times a day a multitude of meals have to be arranged on serving trays and/or menu dishes. In the following, the term “serving tray” is used as the only term, also including the term “menu dishes.”

The portioning of the various meals onto the individual serving trays cannot be automated due to the wide range of variations of the foods and the meals commonly to be placed differently onto the individual serving trays for a meal. Therefore, the portioning of the food onto the serving trays must occur manually.

In order to portion as many serving trays as possible in a time as short as possible devices are used, which comprise a tray cart used as a serving tray—feeding device and a conveyer belt as the central element of the portioning station, with right and left of the conveyer belt several work stations being arranged with one operator each and the number of work stations depending on the number of different foods to be portioned and the number of serving trays to be prepared. Each operator portions therefore a certain food onto the serving tray passing on the conveyer belt from a container arranged at the work station so that the serving tray is completely portioned at the end of the conveyer track. Depending on the width and the speed of the conveyer belt, many serving trays can be portioned in a short period of time. At the end of the conveyer belt quality control is performed, after which the readily portioned serving trays are inserted into a magazine cart (“Unitray”), are temporarily stored here, and then are brought to the respective end users, in hospital kitchens to the patients.

The high level of division of work in these known arrangements and the respective method according to the conveyer belt principle allows a rapid and efficient portioning of a multitude of serving trays in a relatively short time, if everything works properly; however, it also renders the method very prone to malfunction. Each time, when a faulty combination of foods or a missing portion of a food is detected in quality control, or if an operator does not keep up with the speed necessary for portioning, for whatever reason, the conveyer belt must be stopped and the process is interrupted. Due to the relatively high number of work stations and operators that are easily distracted from their rather monotonous work, such interruptions of the conveyer belt are rather the rule than the exception. The pauses in the work process developing here result in the operators being ultimately used inefficiently, which unnecessarily increases the personnel expenses. Furthermore, the preparation of the foods on a moving serving tray is naturally more difficult than on a locally stable serving tray and the high expense in quality control is obvious due to the multitude of serving trays. Further, unnecessary heat loss of warm foods occurs on the conveyer belt because they are transported openly and are only closed with covers at the end of the conveyer belt. Today in hospitals six persons are typically occupied in order to portion approximately 200 serving trays in about 45 minutes.

SUMMARY

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method and a device of the type mentioned at the outset for the use in hospital kitchens, however also to improve other cafeteria kitchens, by increasing the efficiency of the operators used.

Another object comprises a work station for the use in an improved device.

This object is attained in a device according to the attached claim 1, a method according to the attached claim 19, and a work station according to attached claim 8.

Preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention are found in claims 20 through 22, preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention in the claims 2 through 7, and preferred embodiments of the work station according to the invention are described in claims 9 through 18.

The invention is therefore based on the fundamental idea to prefer an island solution for portioning meals on serving trays rather than the division of labor by portioning at a conveyer belt. The serving tray is no longer transported during the portioning process but stays put on the portioning station. Interruption of the portioning process by stopping a conveyer belt is thereby excluded. Simultaneously, food and tableware are portioned by operators who can access a multitude of different storage containers with different foods to be portioned from a work position at a work station. Therefore, every operator can portion all foods onto a serving tray and, if necessary, provide all tableware and portion them on the serving tray. This work is diversified due to the variation of the individual serving trays, and the responsibility of the operator is greater, because potentially incorrectly portioned serving trays can be concretely allocated to an operator. Interruptions of the process by incorrectly or not portioned foods discovered during quality control hardly occur in the method and/or the respective device according to the invention, in contrast to the previously common methods and/or devices. According to tests of the applicants a portioning of 120 serving trays per hours only requires 2 persons, i.e. on average 30 seconds are necessary for each serving tray.

The island solution according to the invention does not exclude, of course, that perhaps two or more work stations can be arranged around one and the same portioning station, in order to maintain a certain division of work. Alternatively or additionally, depending on a desired amount of output, several portioning stations, each of which includes one or more work stations, can be provided for forming working teams.

In the method according to the invention and/or the respective device, the portioning station can be a tray cart, with the uppermost serving tray each being portioned. This tray cart then simultaneously operates in the function of a serving tray—feeding device, because after removing all serving trays from the tray cart simply a new, filled tray cart is inserted instead of it.

For removing the completely portioned serving trays it is useful to use a magazine cart, known in its normal embodiment as a “unitray” for temporary storage and transport. The device according to the invention may also comprise largely well-known and common individual parts. Only the work station, i.e. the core of the invention, must be specially produced.

Particular advantages result from the device according to the invention to be provided with at least one work station having a cooling device. Therefore, it is possible to operate with the device according to the invention in the cook and chill or cook and freeze method. The cold foods only leave the cooling chain during the portioning process, therefore it is not necessary to cool the entire room and to provide the operators with special protective clothing.

Respective advantages result when at least one work station is provided with a heating device. Accordingly, the device according to the invention can then be used in the cook and serve method. The warm foods can then be kept warm in the storage containers by the heating device until they reach the serving tray during the portioning process.

The work station according to the invention is characterized in that it contains a frame for a multitude of storage containers for different foods to be manually portioned on a serving tray, with the storage containers being arranged in at least two and/or three levels over top of each other. This ensures that the operator allocated to the work station can reach all storage containers with the different foods for portioning on the serving tray from the work position without having to leave said work position.

Preferably, the frame of the work station according to the invention is embodied such that a multitude of Gastronorm (food)—containers can be accepted as storage containers for food in several levels over top of each other. An advantageous variability results when the storage containers can be suspended at the frame in different levels and preferably can also be adjusted in their incline in reference to the horizontal; the latter at least in the upper level(s). This way an easy adjustment to different storage containers with varying depths and ground surfaces is achieved as well as to different operators.

Independent from the suitability for Gastronorm—containers, the various levels of the work station according to the invention can also be adjusted in their height in steps or even gradually and, if necessary, also in their incline in reference to the horizontal plane, if necessary split according to individual containers or fasteners.

The work station according to the invention can be provided with a housing, which is open towards the work position of the operator, the rest of the frame with the storage containers being covered towards the outside, though. This particularly protects the food form contaminants, but also from undesired warming by the environment. Particularly advantageous is such a housing when the food shall be cooled; then the housing can be provided with a forced-air cooling system, for example known from supermarket cooling shelves.

Inversely, a heating device for at least one storage container can be provided in the work station, of course. This may be embodied particularly such that trough-shaped heated containers for suspending storage containers can be provided and/or heating plates, for example ceramic cook tops, onto which the storage containers to be heated are placed. Alternatively or additionally, heating radiators can be provided, which preferably heat the content of the storage containers from above. A work station with heating devices is preferably not enclosed by a housing, in order for steam and heat to not flow towards the face of the operator but dissipate in all directions. The work station having a heating device may be provided with a multitude of various heating devices. Preferably they are embodied such that Gastronorm—containers can be suspended and/or placed onto heating plates or heating cook tops. Additionally, heating radiators can be used, which heat the content of the storage containers from above or to keep it hot. In the understructure of the work station hot cabinets can be provided, which preferably are adjusted for accepting Gastronorm—containers.

Of course, in one and the same work station both cooling and heating devices may be provided simultaneously.

The work stations according to the invention can be complemented such that they are provided with rollers for transportation, or that for the work position of the operator, a working surface is mounted that can be folded down. The energy supply for potentially existing cooling and/or heating devices can preferably occur via a plug connection using an electric outlet at the ceiling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment for a device according to the invention as well as two exemplary embodiments of a work station according to the invention are described and explained in greater detail using the attached drawings: Shown are:

FIG. 1: a schematic representation of a device according to the invention in a top view;

FIG. 2: a schematic side view of a work station according to the invention;

FIG. 3: a schematic front view of the work station according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 4: a schematic lateral cross-section of the work station of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5: another embodiment of a work station in a representation according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6: a work station according to FIG. 5 in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows in a top view a schematic representation of a device according to the invention. In the center there is a portioning station 1 comprising a tray cart with a stack of serving trays 2. A first operator 3 is located in a working position in front of the work station 4 with a multitude of Gastronorm—containers as storage containers 5 for the foods to be portioned onto the serving trays. In addition to the work station 4, additionally arranged are a soup cup dispenser 6 and a plate cart 7.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the completed portioned serving trays 2 are taken off the tray cart by a second operator 8, thus removed from the portioning station 1 and inserted into a Unitray cart, i.e. a magazine tray 9, by which they are transported to the station.

In addition to these components, the device shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a second work station 10. Here, tray cards, napkins, silverware, salads 10 a and deserts 10 b and/or components for breakfast and dinner or for other foods are provided pre-portioned in small dishes so that they can be added by a second operator 8 onto the serving trays 2. Additionally, a lid cart 12 is provided in order to allow the foods on the serving trays 2 to be covered. At the work station 4, here provided as a hold-warm station with heating devices, a lid holder 4 a is also provided in order to immediately cover warm foods.

FIG. 1 clearly shows the shift from the conveyer-belt principle towards the island solution according to the invention, which, as described above, increases efficiency and quality of the portioning process. Sized equally, the device requires less personnel than conventional conveyer-belt arrangements.

Depending on the desired output amount, several such devices as shown in FIG. 1 can be placed side-by-side and thus be combined to an overall arrangement comprising islands and/or working teams.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 all tableware and foods are portioned and arranged by two operators 3, 8. The work stations 4, 10, 10 a, 10 b are designed such that the operators 3, 8 can access a multitude of different storage containers 5, 6, 7, 10, 10 a, 10 b, 12 with different foods and/or tableware to be portioned. Each operator 3, 8 has all necessary foods, tableware and silverware provided in the work station 4, 10. One person each of a two-person team is responsible for quality control.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a work station 4 in a side view. A frame 15 is provided in a housing 14, supported on rollers 13, into which the storage containers 5 can be suspended at various levels. A total of three levels are shown, with the upper two levels being embodied such that the respective storage containers 5 are inclined in reference to the horizontal plane in order to allow an easier access for the operator 3. Below an opening 16 of the housing 14 facing the operator 3, a work surface 17 is provided, which can be folded down. This work station 4 is suitable for a cooling station, due to its housing 14. Accordingly, it is provided with a refrigerator 18.

FIG. 3 shows the work station 4 of FIG. 2 in a frontal view, with identical parts being marked with identical reference characters. In the frame 15 located in the housing 14 a total of eight Gastronorm—containers are arranged as storage containers 5 in three levels, with the upper two levels being adjustable in their height in a grid mounted on a frame 15. Here, a refrigerator 18 indicated by dot-dash lines ensures that the work station 4 inside the housing 14 is cooled by a forced-air cooling device as commonly known from supermarket cooling shelves.

Finally, FIG. 4 illustrates in a schematic representation of a work station 4 and the operator 3 standing in front of it the design of the work station 4 according to the invention with a frame 15, a housing 14, and a refrigerator 18, as well as a work surface 17 that can be folded down, here intended as a plate support. Due to the total three levels provided for the storage containers 5, which can be freely adjusted in their height and in their incline in reference to the horizontal plane by the operator 3, it is possible for the operator 3 to reach the different foods to be positioned on the serving trays from the work position. Here, the frame 15 essentially comprised a rear wall provided with snaps and a trough for accepting the storage strays 5. The consoles 19, provided in the upper levels for accepting the storage trays 5, can be inserted into the frame 15 at different heights and can be adjusted in their incline in reference to the horizontal plane depending on the needs of the operator 3. The lamp 20 inside the housing 14 ensures a comfortable lighting of the work station 4.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show, in a schematic side view (FIG. 5) and/or in a schematic perspective view (FIG. 6), a second exemplary embodiment of the work station 4 according to the invention. This second exemplary embodiment differs from the one shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, in its suitability for warm foods. Here, three levels of storage containers 5 are arranged on a frame 15; however, no housing and no refrigerator are provided. Instead, heating devices are provided for keeping the foods warm in the storage containers 5. In the lowermost level, the storage containers 5 are suspended in heating containers 22, which are provided with a flap 21 towards the operator 3 in order to allow the storage containers 5 to be easily inserted and removed. This is indicated in FIG. 5 by the lower storage container 5 being shown in its inserted state in dot-dash lines. Simultaneously it is discernible here that the work surface 17 in the present exemplary embodiment can be folded up in order not to hinder the removal and insertion of the storage containers 5 into the heating containers 22 through the opened flap 21. In the mid level a flat storage container 5 is arranged, which is kept warm via heating plates 23 embodied as ceramic cook tops, here. The storage container 5 in the uppermost level is supported on an inclined support 25 and is not heated. In addition to the hot container 22 and to the heating plate 23 the foods provided in the lower and central storage containers 5 are kept warm from above by two heating radiators 24. The storage container 5 in the uppermost level is kept warm by the lost heat of the upper heating radiator 24. The central level and the upper level of the exemplary embodiment of the work station 4 according to the invention shown here are not only adjustable by snaps but also gradually as well as optionally in their incline in reference to the horizontal plane. The heating radiator 24 can be adjusted such that its power is appropriate for the respective need. In the understructure 26, heating cabinets 27 are provided in order to allow the storage of Gastronorm—containers. In addition to heat cabinets 27, outlets 28 are mounted in order to supply secondary devices, such as for example the plate cart 7, with electricity for the work station 4 embodied as a heating station. 

1. A device for a successive portioning and arranging of meals on a multitude of serving trays, comprising: a serving tray providing device, a portioning station (1) for providing at least one of the serving trays (2) for a manual portioning of foods, at least one work station (4) allocated to an operator (3), which is arranged next to the portioning station (1) and comprising at least one storage container (5) for the foods to be portioned, and a serving tray—transportation device (9) for removing completed portioned serving trays (2), the portioning station (1) holds the serving tray (2) locally fixed during a portioning of the foods, and the work station (4) comprises a multitude of storage containers (5) with different foods to be portioned, with the storage device (5) being accessible by the operator (3) from a work position.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein two or more work stations (4) are arranged around the portioning station (1).
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the portioning stations (1) are each provided with one or more of the allocated work stations (4).
 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the serving tray providing device comprises a tray cart with a stack of trays and simultaneously serves as the portioning station (1).
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the serving tray—transportation device comprises a magazine cart (9) for temporary storage and transportation of completed portioned serving trays (2).
 6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one work station (4) is provided with a cooling device (18).
 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one work station (4) is provided with a heating device.
 8. A work station for a device for successively portioning and arranging meals on a multitude of serving trays according to claim 1, comprising a frame with a multitude of storage containers for various foods to be manually portioned onto the serving tray (2), with the storage tray (5) being arranged in at least two levels over top of each other.
 9. A work station according to claim 8, wherein the frame (15) is sized for accepting Gastronorm containers.
 10. A work station according to claim 1, wherein the frame (15) is surrounded by a housing (14), which is open towards a work position of an operator (3).
 11. A work station according to claim 10, wherein a forced-air cooling system is provided inside the housing (14).
 12. A work station according to claim 8, wherein in a direction toward a work position of the operator (3), a work surface (17) is provided that can be folded down.
 13. A work station according to claim 8, wherein the storage device (5) is held on the frame (15) in a height adjustable manner.
 14. A work station according to claim 13, wherein at least the storage device (5) in an uppermost level can be adjusted in an angle of incline in reference to a horizontal plane.
 15. A work station according to claim 8, wherein rollers (13) are provided at a bottom thereof for transportation.
 16. A work station according to claim 8, wherein the work station comprises a heating device for at least of the one storage devices (5).
 17. A work station according to claim 16, wherein the heating device comprises a heating container (22), cook plate, or cook top (23) or preferably as an adjustable heating radiator (24).
 18. A work station according to claim 16, wherein an understructure (26) is provided with heating cabinets (27) for inserting the storage containers (5).
 19. A method for the successive portioning and arrangement of meals on a multitude of serving trays having the following processing steps: providing a serving tray on a positioning station, providing different foods to be portioned on the serving tray, each in a storage container, positioning the storage containers having the various foods being provided in a work station accessible by an operator from a working position, manually portioning various foods from the storage containers in the work station to the serving tray, holding the serving tray in a locally fixed location on the positioning station during the manual portioning, and removing the completed portioned serving tray from the portioning station.
 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein two or more work stations can be combined to a joint portioning station.
 21. A method according to claim 19, wherein a tray cart is used as the portioning station.
 22. A method according to claim 19, wherein completed portioned serving trays are temporarily stored in a magazine cart and transported further. 